Why Portugal ?

In terms of climate, Portugal is characterised by mildwinters (rarely below 5.ºC) followed by hot and dry summers cooled by the country’s Atlantic coast.Frost and snow only occur in the interior of Portugal.

Milder temperatures and all year-round spring-like weather, is the typical weather in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

Note that the number of hours of sunshine per year reaches values as high as 3300, a 70% larger value than the ones found in northern Europe.

Portugal’s unique geographical location is what turned the country into the first global empire in the 15th century. It is the meeting point between three continents – Europe, Africa and America. There is a number of international airports all over Portugal, Lisbon and Funchal being the ones with most worldwide flight connections.

Distance, in hours, of Lisbon and Funchal from major cities (direct flights):

Cities

From Lisbon

From Funchal

Paris

2h 18min

3h 30min

Frankfurt

2h 51min

4h 3min

Helsinki

4h 41min

5h 52min

Zürich

2h 39min

3h 51min

Madrid

1h 8min

2h 19min

Luxembourg

2h 39min

3h 51min

Stockholm

4h 13min

5h 23min

London

2h 28min

3h 36min

Amsterdam

2h 49min

3h 59min

Brussels

2h 38min

3h 49min

Rio de Janeiro

10h 4min

N/A

São Paulo

10h 21min

N/A

Luanda

7h 39min

N/A

Maputo

10h 54min

N/A

Lisboa

N/A

1h 43min

Portugal and the Autonomous Region of Madeira have a modern highway system, Oporto (north) and Faro (south) can be reached within two hours from the capital.

Portugal has a vast network of prestigious private schools and state-run Universities scattered across the country. If you are considering moving with your family you will find International Baccalaureate® accredited schools in Lisbon, Funchal, Oporto, and Faro.

Universities in Portugal rank among the Top 500 in the international Shanghai Ranking and have European renowned colleges in the following fields:

Engineering:

Instituto Superior Técnico and Aveiro University;

Audited courses by the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (EUR-ACE Accreditation Program)

Economics

Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) and Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics are “Triple Crown” holders, being certified by:

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International Accreditation;

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe, having the same defined continental borders since 1249, when King Afonso III captured the city of Faro and the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves was effectively established.

Nevertheless, its rich history dates to back to 27 BC and to the Roman Imperial Province of Lusitania. Roman ruins and cromlechs (prehistoric megalithic structures) can be found a few kilometers away from each other.

It is with no surprise that you can find 15 UNESCO Heritage Sites, plus 11 sites on UNESCO’s tentative list, across the country and its Autonomous Regions.

Portugal is also known for its a rich traditional folklore, with great regional varieties, it’s unique gothic architecture (Manueline style), literature and last, but not least, its food and wines are among the best regarding price-quality ratio.

In the field of scientific research, Portugal is one of the Top 30 countries contributing to the top 1% of the world’s highly cited publications. It ranks above Spain, Ireland and Greece, with research being mainly carried out within a network of public universities.

The country’s globally acclaimed research institutions are the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, with an endowment of € 2.8 billion, and the Champalimaud Foundation (biomedichal research), with an endowment of € 500 million.

Portugal has a strong tradition of political stability, with power alternating between the two main center parties since 1974. Given its constitutional system, premier-presidentialism, it is not unusual for these center parties to form coalition with other minor parties in recent years.

The Autonomous Region of Madeirapossesses its own political and administrative statute and has its own government. The branches of Government are the regional executive (Governo Regional) and the legislative assembly (known as the Assembleia Regional). The assembly is elected by universal suffrage. Power in Madeira has been exercised by the same party since 1976.

The Portuguese Law system is part of the civil law legal systems, based on Roman Law. Since the 20th century there has been a major influence from German civil law, a shift from the French influence of the previous century. Since 1986 European Union Law became the majordrivingforce on corporate law, administrative law and civil procedure.

Portuguese Law has influenced the legal systems of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, the State of Goa (India) and the Special Administrative Region of Macau (China).

Portugal is the only country in Top 5 Most Powerful Passport Index (Visa-Free Score of 155 countries) to have a Golden Residence Permit Regime, that after a given period allows residents to acquire Portuguese nationality.

According to the Cato Institute’s Human Freedom Index, Portugal ranked among the Top 20 Countries, surpassing France, Spain and Greece pertaining economic and personal freedoms.

As for religious, bioethical, family and gender freedoms, Portugal ranks in the world Top 3 in the World Index of Moral Freedom, surpassing all the G20 countries in these fields.

Portugal is among ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Index Top 4 European countries in respect to full equality, surpassing Scandinavian countries, Spain, France, Greece and Germany.

In the latest Global Peace Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Portugal ranks 5th on its Top 10 Peaceful Countries in the World. In this index, Portugal ranks above Switzerland, Canada and Japan.

Investopedia ranks Portugal in the Top 10 Best Countries to Retire in the world and ranks it 2nd best country to retire in Europe. Unlike Spain, Portugal has never suffered any terrorist attack to date.

If you are looking for the city with the best quality of life, and where you can enjoy a cosmopolitan and yet calm island life, then Funchal is the place to be. The Portuguese consumer association has ranked Funchal as the second-best city to live in Portugal. As for the mainland, cities like Lisbon, Lagos and Cascais are the favorite among the expats.

Portugal ranks in the Top 20 Cheapest Countries in Europe (Numbeo), surpassing Spain, Malta, Greece, and France. Add this to the special tax regime available to new residents and businesses and your savings will increase even more.

If you are aiming to do business with the rest of the world, while being based in Portugal, the Autonomous Region of Madeira will be your ultimate investment destination.